Congratulations on being named general manager for the FFMD AZPSquared. I think the selection committee picked a great poster to represent us and I have full confidence you'll a great job for the Arizona "Bird Gang" Cardinals.

I rarely participate in this thing, instead choosing to allow other posters the chance to dig in but this year I'm especially strapped for time and won't be able to help in anything other than a low end consultant role. I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have but I can't promise anything FFMD wise. The first thing that has to happen though is for you to pick your staff. Assistant general manager, head coach, your coordinators, scouts etc. What I suggest is have the posters who are interested in each position declare so in this thread and give a brief write up of why they want/deserve each position. You can make your staff decisions from there and get this thing rolling.

Good luck and enjoy this, it's a big thing within the site and it's definitely a lot of fun.

Congratulations on being named general manager for the FFMD AZPSquared. I think the selection committee picked a great poster to represent us and I have full confidence you'll a great job for the Arizona "Bird Gang" Cardinals.

I rarely participate in this thing, instead choosing to allow other posters the chance to dig in but this year I'm especially strapped for time and won't be able to help in anything other than a low end consultant role. I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have but I can't promise anything FFMD wise. The first thing that has to happen though is for you to pick your staff. Assistant general manager, head coach, your coordinators, scouts etc. What I suggest is have the posters who are interested in each position declare so in this thread and give a brief write up of why they want/deserve each position. You can make your staff decisions from there and get this thing rolling.

Good luck and enjoy this, it's a big thing within the site and it's definitely a lot of fun.

Here are usual positions that need to be filled. I'll go ahead and edit the original post here to reflect them and when AZP has made his staff choices, he can edit in the names of those staff members.

Assistant General Manager
Director of Player Personnel (Most forums use these person for the draft and free agency but that's the GM's call)
Capologist
Head Coach
Offensive Coordinator
Defensive Coordinator
Special Teams Coordinator (Again, GMs discretion on this position)
Scouts (Multiple)

I feel like I have a terrific sense of where this team needs to go in order to be competitive and successful for years to come. I'm a big advocate in playing through young players mistakes in order to properly gage experience and potential at each position. Bottom line, this has to be an offensive cornerstone draft with an emphasis upfront. My goal would be to build toward an imposing, physical, technically sound unit that no longer is intimated by the likes of San Fran, St. Louis or Seattle. Finesse football would likely be shown the door and a real commitment to the running game would be endorsed. As would be an upgrade at the quarterback position likely through the draft. A late round, power runner would also be brought in to share carries with Williams and Powell.

Defensively, we are roughly two linebackers away from having something special. With Horton now gone, is it possible to replace Lenon with a younger, less experienced ILB? We'll see, but that's a serious option IMO. Edge rusher remains a priority, but may have to be shown the door at least one more season while the offense receives a makeover. Perhaps a trade can be worked out for a solid veteran looking for a fresh starter. Our secondary, despite the age at safety, remains a team strength and was awfully impressive a year ago. Defensive line is another strong unit IF we can adequately replace our aging veteran backups.

Free agency remains somewhat of a mystery, but I would fully endorse dumping many of our high priced veterans in order for the youth on this team to receive quality reps. I don't expect us to be major players for big names.

Physical, young and aggresive players is what I would strive for as a HC. Building a blueprint to compete and dominate the NFC West for the next 10 years. You saw what Atlanta did offensively to San Fran in the first half...they abused them with their big, physical wide outs by throwing down field.

We have the personnell at the receiver position to duplicate that success, but it all starts upfront.

Insert youth.

I'm a commmited poster with an abundance of football experience that stems from working in college football personnell as well as football beat reporting. Again, I would happily take either HC, OC or DC._________________

Champ...I know you are a busy man, but you should be the capologist for this thing. Like you said in another thread, you can breakdown our cap situation off the top of your head and I don't think it would require that much of your time.

and just out of curiosity, what exactly does each position have to do? I wouldnt mind getting involved but considering I have never participated before, I am not sure exactly what would be needed of me._________________
sig made by mike23md

AZP has a plan in mind for the capologist position that doesn't involve me. I've been Ray Hortoned.

As for what it entails, the position you apply for would basically translate to what that position would ask of that person in real life. If you're the offensive coordinator, you're focusing on the offensive roster and only the offensive roster as it stands now today and what needs to be done to fix it going forward. Director of Player Personnel is tasked with evaluating the entire roster, top to bottom, identying weak points and then trying to identify which available players either through FA or the draft could help fill those voids. It's very much what each person would do were they actually in that team's position.

AZP has a plan in mind for the capologist position that doesn't involve me. I've been Ray Hortoned.

As for what it entails, the position you apply for would basically translate to what that position would ask of that person in real life. If you're the offensive coordinator, you're focusing on the offensive roster and only the offensive roster as it stands now today and what needs to be done to fix it going forward. Director of Player Personnel is tasked with evaluating the entire roster, top to bottom, identying weak points and then trying to identify which available players either through FA or the draft could help fill those voids. It's very much what each person would do were they actually in that team's position.

This is pretty much it, but when it comes down to the bottom line of things I.E who are we going to draft here and which FA's should we bid on and to how much. It is a team decision the entire staff has an equal say. GM is tiebreaker._________________
Conductor of the Keith Wenning bandwagon.
Zach Hodges is a 1st Round Pick in 2015.